This invention relates to a lightweight tray for receiving, supporting and storage of lightweight plastic bottles. While it is not to be limited in its application, the tray is specifically adapted for plastic bottles such as are used in the carbonated beverage industry. These plastic bottles are supplanting heavier glass bottles, which are typically shipped in cartons or in heavy crates made from wood or rigid plastic. In the case of larger bottles ranging from one quart (or one liter) to two quarts (or two liters), it is not practical to store more than twelve bottles in an individual crate. Glass bottles are also shipped in bulk packages, using flat support sheets between layers or rectangular trays having vertical side walls. The light weight of plastic bottles makes it possible to store substantial numbers of empty bottles in a large area tray, and such trays can be stacked vertically for bulk storage purposes. The vertically stacked trays can be handled on pallets by mechanized warehousing equipment. As an example, a practical tray according to the present disclosure has been made from normal corrugated cardboard to handle one hundred-twenty two liter empty plastic beverage bottles as an effective storage unit.
One difficulty encountered in handling lightweight plastic bottles is their tendency to be relatively top heavy and to fall over easily if not within a full height box or container. However, it is often advisable to handle and store bottles in a tray, which supports only the heels and lower barrel surfaces of the bottles. Such a tray leaves the labels on the bottles exposed for display purposes, and the majority of the bottle surfaces are accessible for external inspection and engagement by other equipment. The present tray was designed to effectively support lightweight bottles within a relatively low tray capable of storing large numbers of empty bottles. It is further applicable to smaller numbers of filled bottles for storage, display and sales purposes.